Kelly Rowland Lost at Sea for 12 Hours

It was supposed to be a three-hour tour. Actually, we have no idea how many hours Kelly Rowland intended to be out at sea on Friday — but we're betting it wasn't 12.

The former Destiny's Child songstress and a few friends had chartered a boat off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts, for a fun-filled day of whale-watching when the weather suddenly turned. According to an employee at TowboatUS Provincetown, Rowland's vessel became "disoriented in the five-to-six foot waves and fog that had rolled in."

Fortunately, once it became apparent that the group needed real help, "The US Coast Guard was able to triangulate their position," the employee told E! News.

But even after the Guard showed up, it still wasn't smooth sailing for the "X Factor" judge. As Rowland's boat was being escorted back toward Provincetown, it broke down. Yikes!

Since they were still a full four miles from shore, the broken vessel had to be towed in the rest of the way — which was slow going by all accounts. By the time they set foot back on dry land, Rowland and her friends had been out at sea for a full 12 hours.

So, were they shaken up at all?

They were "Thankful and tired," the employee recalls, adding, "They just wanted to get off the boat."

We don't blame them. No word on whether they did ever manage to spot any whales during their half-day adventure, but we're fairly certain they won't be heading out into open waters again anytime soon.

For her part, Rowland seemed to take the potentially disastrous debacle in stride, posting some adorable snapshots on Instagram of other stops on her getaway (which included some retail therapy at The Little Red and some delicious bites at Victor's). Those look a bit safer, and a lot more fun.